MANILA, Philippines – Miguel Tabuena arrived in Singapore yesterday afternoon, ready to get going in the kickoff leg of the Asian Tour – the rich Singapore Open firing off Thursday at the Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course.
Not only is he thrilled to start a new season following a brilliant campaign in 2015 that saw him win five tournaments, including the Philippine Open that assured him of an Asian Tour card. What excites him is the rare chance to play against some of the world’s best, including No. 1 Jordan Spieth, who headlines the $1 million tournament, also the opening leg of the Japan PGA Tour.
“It’s exciting to be able to play tournaments like this with big names that better the field,” said Tabuena, who bested a crack international field to win the National Open back home last December.
He doesn’t expect to play alongside the sport’s leading player or the likes of Major champions Darren Clarke and Y.E. Yang or 2008 Singapore Open winner Jeev Milkha Singh, but the chance to showcase his wares against a world-class field is enough to motivate the 21-year-old shotmaker.
“My game feels good now and I’m excited to get the Asian Tour season started and I’m praying for a great one,” said Tabuena, who actually had a crack at world class golf early this month at the Sony Open in Hawaii from where he missed the cut.